Aspect and Modality in Kwa LanguagesFelix K. Ameka, Mary Esther Kropp Dakubu John Benjamins Publishing, 2008 - 333 Seiten This book explores the thesis that in the Kwa languages of West Africa, aspect and modality are more central to the grammar of the verb than tense. Where tense marking has emerged it is invariably in the expression of the future, and therefore concerned with the impending actualization or potentiality of an event, hence with modality, rather than the purely temporal sequencing associated with tense. The primary grammatical contrasts are perfective versus imperfective. The main languages discussed are Akan, Dangme, Ewe, Ga and Tuwuli while Nzema-Ahanta, Likpe and Eastern Gbe are also mentioned. Knowledge about these languages has deepened considerably during the past decade or so and ideas about their structure have changed. The volume therefore presents novel analyses of grammatical forms like the so-called S-Aux-O-V-Other or future constructions, and provides empirical data for theorizing about aspect and modality. It should be of considerable interest to Africanist linguists, typologists, and creolists interested in substrate issues. |
Inhalt
Akan as an Aspectual Language | 69 |
Ga Verb Features | 91 |
a Survey | 135 |
The Potential Morpheme in Ewe | 195 |
Progressive and Prospective | 213 |
Tense Aspect and Mood in Tuwuli | 291 |
331 | |
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Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
affairs affix Akan Ameka aorist appears aspect auxiliary called carry child clause combination complement completive Consider constituent construction context contrast Dakubu Dangme deictic dependent described dialects discussed distinction English event example expressed fact function future gerund give grammatical grammaticalization Habitual head Heine high tone illustrated imperative imperfective Indicative interpretation involving irrealis kind Kofi languages lexical Linguistics low tone marked marker meaning modal mood morpheme NAME negative nominalized noted noun object occur paradigm past Perfect person phrase plural position possible potential pre-verb preceded prefix present Press progressive pronoun prospective reading REALIS reference relation represented respect S/he seems semantic sense sentence serial situation speaker speaking specified Stative stem structure subjunctive suffix suggest temporal tense thing tion University utterance verb verbal vowel